ILOILO – This province continues to record cases of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS).
From January to September this year, the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) logged 210 cases with 28 deaths – lower than the 229 cases with 31 deaths recorded in the same period in 2021 but higher than the 154 cases with 19 deaths logged in 2020.
From 1986 to September 2022, Iloilo recorded a total of 1,410 HIV/AIDS cases with 163 deaths, IPHO said.
For this year, the municipality of Pavia recorded the highest cases of HIV/AIDS with 18, followed by Oton town with 15 cases.
The most affected age group is 25 to 34 years old with 113 cases, followed by 15 to 24 years old with 48 cases, 35 to 49 years old (44 cases), and 50 and older (five cases). There were also 201 HIV-positive men and nine HIV-positive women.
By mode of transmission, here is the breakdown of cases:
* Males having sex with males only – 133 cases
* Males having sex with males and females – 48 cases
* Male to female sex – 25 cases
* Unknown – four cases
Aside from Pavia and Oton, here are the HIV/AIDS cases in the remaining towns, including Passi City: Leganes (12); Miag-ao (11); Tigbauan (10); Santa Barbara (nine); Barotac Nuevo and Dumangas (eight each); Lambunao, San Miguel and Janiuay (seven each); Carles and San Dionisio (six each); Pototan, Cabatuan, Passi City, San Enrique, and Leon, and Lemery (five each); Calinog, Guimbal, Estancia, Zarraga, Tubungan, Alimodian, and New Lucena (four each); Ajuy, Sara, Balasan, and Anilao (three each); Dingle, Banate, Barotac Viejo, Badiangan, Concepcion, and Mina (two each); and San Joaquin, Maasin and Igbaras (one each).
Only four towns in the province logged zero HIV/AIDS cases. These are Batad, San Rafael, Bingawan, and Dueñas.
Provincial Health Officer 1, Dr. Rodney Labis, chief of the Health Service Delivery Division of the IPHO, is pointing to the active surveillance and early detection efforts of the provincial government, together with the 43 towns and one component city, the Department of Health (DOH), and other partnered agencies and stakeholders for persons with high infection risks as some of the reasons in the increasing trend of HIV/AIDS cases.
Another factor, Labis said, is that people voluntarily seek HIV testing in health centers or treatment hubs.
The provincial health officer also stated that as more people are tested for HIV status, there will be more detection which will be beneficial in providing early treatment.
“Part sang goal sang province to increase sang detection sang HIV cases sa kada banwa para mas early nga ma-detect nga may HIV sila, mas early nga maka-start sang treatment,” Labis said in an interview with Panay News yesterday morning.
HIV testing centers in the city and province of Iloilo that provide regular and free testing are at the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao district and Rep. Pedro G. Trono Memorial Hospital in Guimbal town.
In addition to the HIV prevention and control program, the provincial government started integrating HIV services into other programs, like conducting HIV testing on patients with tuberculosis in all TB-DOTS centers and also testing pregnant women.
Labis assured that the testing is free and that the data is confidential.
According to the provincial health officer, some high-risk patients refuse testing despite suspicions of HIV infection for fear of stigma and public shaming.
Avoiding HIV/AIDS infection
Safe sex can help prevent HIV/AIDS infection.
“Focus gid kita sa pag-practice sang safe sex. Maghambal kita safe sex, protected nga sex, especially mag-stick sa one partner and of course, dapat mabal-an naton ang status sang aton partner,” said Labis.
He also said that it is better to use contraceptives like a condom to prevent infection, and avoid using illegal drugs.
HIV can only be transmitted through the exchange of body fluids from infected people, such as blood, breast milk, semen, vaginal secretions, and from a mother to her child during pregnancy and delivery.
Individuals cannot become infected through ordinary day-to-day contact such as kissing, hugging, shaking hands, or sharing utensils, food, or water.
As such, Labis advised everyone not to discriminately avoid people living with HIV.
Getting HIV-tested
The IPHO encourages people who engage in risky sexual behavior to visit their rural health units or testing centers, or to use the services of trained community-based screeners, to detect HIV status and receive early treatment to avoid complications and possibly infecting others.
“Gina-assure namon nga ma-maintain ang confidentiality sang imo name and data at the same time libre ang HIV testing. So, magpalapit lang sa inyo health care providers para nga makapa-test sang temprano kag mabal-an ang inyo HIV status,” said Labis.
He added that the provincial government aims to help and protect people living with HIV, thus it is intensifying efforts for early detection and prevention./PN
